Corn-planter



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. 11- FREDERICK. CORN PLANTER.

No. 515,329. Patented Feb. 27, 1894.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(N07 Model.)

G. D. FREDERICK.

GORN'PLANTER. No. 515,329. Patented'Peb. 27, 1894.

GEORGE D. FREDERICK, OF CLARNO, lVISOONSIN.

CORN-PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 515,329, dated February27,1894. Application filedMarch 4, 1891. Renewed August 2, 1893. SerialNo. 482,203- (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE D. FREDERICK, a resident of Clarno, in thecounty of Green and State of Wisconsin, have invented certam new anduseful Improvements in Corn- Planters; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in corn planters of that class inwhich the dropping mechanism is moved by a lever controlled by anoperator on the machine.

The invention is fully described, explained and claimed in thisspecification and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1is a top plan of a corn planter embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is avertical section through the line 00-51; of Fig. 1 the View being in thedirection indicated by the arrow in said figure; and Fig. 3 is a topplan of the bottom of one of the hoppers of the dropping mechanism.

In the views A is the axle of a corn planter, and B, B, are wheelsmounted upon and supporting the axle in the ordinary manner. Upon theaxle, A, rests a frame made up of two side timbers, O, O, convergingfrom rear to front, and three parallel cross timbers, 0, O Origidlyconnectin g the side timbers, the central cross timbers, 0 beingrigidly secured to the axle, A, and the front cross timber, 0 beingsupported by a caster wheel, B, whose vertical shank is journaled in thecross timber. A tongue, T, is secured between the front ends of the sidetimbers, O, O, by a horizontal pivot, and serves as a means for drawingthe planter but not for supporting any part of its weight.

Beneath the frame, and about midway be tween the front end thereof andthe axle, is a cross timber, D, supported by shoes, S, connected with itin the manner hereinafter set forth, the cross timber being connectedwith the frame by straps or links, 01, fastened to it and pivoted attheir front ends to the side timbers, C, C, of the frame. An operatorsseat, E is supported on the cross timber, D, by a standard, 6, and adrivers seat, E, is

supported above the cross timber, O, by means of an oblique standard, E,resting on the cross timber, C and braces, e, resting on the crosstimber, (9. On each end of the cross timber, D, rests a seed hopper, N,the bottom, N, of the hopper being formed with an extension, N extendinginward toward the center of the timber, and the extension being piercedby two or more bolt holes, 12, whereby the hopper may be longitudinallyadjusted on the cross bar and fastened in positions corresponding innumber to the holes,

n. On the lower face of the bottom, N, is

formed a dovetail tongue, 92, fitting in a corresponding longitudinalslot in the cross bar, D, and serving to hold the hopper in line, and,in connection with a bolt passing through one of the holes, at, to holdthe hopper in position on the cross timber.

Each of the shoes, S, S, heretofore referred to, is rigidly fastened tothe corresponding tongue, 71,, and thus adjusted with the hoppers, andis always in the same relation to the dropping mechanism situatedtherein. Through each of the hoppers, and in contact with the bottomthereof, passes a dropping slide, P, free to move in'a line at rightangles with the cross timber, D, or parallel to the central line-fromfrontto rear of the machine. The rear end of each of the slides, P, ispivotally connected with the outer end of one of two horizontallyreciprocating levers, 0, each of said levers being pivoted at its centerto a support, 0, fastened to the cross timber, D, and the inner ends ofthe two levers being overlapped at the center of the machine. The outerend of each of the lovers, 0, is pierced by two or more bolt holes, 0,corresponding in relative positions to the bolt holes, n, in theextension, N, of the bottom of the hopper, the bolt holes, 0, beingnecessary to permit the pivoting of the free end of each of the levers,O, to the corresponding slide, P, in any of the positions in which thehoppers, N, may

be secured upon the cross timber, D. An ap- 5 proximately vertical handlever, L is centrally pivoted upon the upper end of a support, Z,fastened to the cross timber, D, near its center, said lever being freeto oscillate in a plane at right angles to the. cross timber,

and its lowerend being passed through openings in the overlapping innerends of the levers, 0. It is evident that the backward movement of theupper end of the lever, L as indicated by the arrow, a, Fig. 2, willmove the slides, P, from rear to front, and thus bring the opening ineach of the slides into a position corresponding with the openingin thebottom of the corresponding hopper, and permit thedropping of a portionof the grain in the hopper; and as the lever is within easy reach of-theoperators seat ,upon the cross timber, D, a man seated thereon mayoperate the lever and the dropping mechanism.

Upon the standard, E, which supports the drivers seat, is rigidlyfastened a transverse bar, m, upon one of whose projecting ends ispivoted a foot-rest, R, rigidly connected with a dependent lever, B,whose lower end is connected with the lever, L by means of a link, 1'.The foot-rest, R, is so placed as to be readily operated by the foot ofthe driver on the drivers seat, E, and it is evident that the, downwardmovement of the front end of the foot-rest, as indicated by the arrow,a, Fig. 2, will move the upper end of the lever, L in the directionindicated by the arrow, a, and operate the dropping mechanism in themanner already described.

When the planter is not in use,bnt is movingfroin place to place, it isimportant to provide it with means for lifting the shoes, S, above theground, and for this purpose a rearwardly projecting bar, d, is rigidlyfastened to the cross timber, D, the rear end of the bar being connectedby means of an approximately vertical link, d with the front end of thehorizontal member, L, of a bell crank lever pivoted in supports on thecross timber, (lithe upper end of the vertical member, L of the leverbeing within reach of thedrivers seat. The backward movement of the freeend of the lever, L as indicated by the arrow, a Fig. 2, raises thelink, (1 and bar, (1, and lifts the cross timber, D, and the partssupported by it. When the cross timber is thus raised, its weight,together with that of the parts attached to it, is supported by the mainframe of the planter, and this in turn is supported Wholly by thewheels, B, B, B, no part of it being transmitted by the tongue to theteam. When the lever, L has been thrownback for the purpose of raisingthe crossitilnber, D, it may be secured and held in position as long asdesired, by means of ahook, M, formed in a single piece, with afoot-rest, M and pivoted to the projecting end of the bar, m, whoseopposite end supports the footrest, R, as hereinbefore set forth. Whenthe planter is in motion, whether th'edropping mechanismbe in use ornot, it is necessary that the wheels be kept free from adhering earth,and for this purpose t'wo scrapers, b, b, are fastened to the ends of asuitably journaled rod, 6, supported by the cross timber, G, andoperated by means of a lever, L, whose lower end is rigidly fastened tothe rod,' whil e its upper end lies in front of. the driver s seat. Thebackward motion of the free end of this lever, as indicated by thearrow, a Fig. 2, throws the scrapers against the wheels, B, B, and theoppositemovemeut of the lever withdraws them from contact therewith.

Each of the wheels, B, has a hub, H, whose inner end rests ordinarilyagainst a shoulder formed on the axle: and a washer, H, encircles theaxle and is in contact with the outer end of the hub, the Washer and hubbeing heldin place by a suitable pin, such as is shown in Fig, 1, or byother means.

As it is desirable that the wheel may always run immediately bbhlfltlthe dropping mechanism and may cover the furrow formed by the shoe, itis necessary to adjust the wheels 'upon the axle to correspond withrtheadjustment of the dropping devices. This adjustment of the wheels iseffected by placing each of the washers, H, between the correspondinghub and the shoulder on the axle, and thus increasing the distancebetween .the' wheels.

In order that the dropping mechanism may be operated by either hand ofthe operator, the support, 6, of the operators seat, E is pivoted to thetimber, D, and may thus be swung into a position opposite to that inwhich it is shown in Fig. 1. r I

Each of the shoes, S, is preferably provided with an oblique guard, 8,adapted to prevent the clogging of the shoe with grass, sticks, or otherloose matter lying on the ground over which the planter passes.

Having now described and explained my invention, what I claim as new,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with the frame, of the cross timber beneath the samesupported only by forwardly extending links pivoted tethe frame and arearwardly extending arm con; nected by a link with a bent operatinglever at the rear of the machine, hoppers and shoes integrally, orrigidly connected by a tongue fitting a dove-tail slot in said crosstiinb'er; whereby the hoppers, shoes and their operating mechanism maybe raised by a single motion and the entire lateral adjustment of allparts may ,be made by moving the tongue in the slot. V g

2. The combination with the main frame and its supporting wheels,ofthejcross timber, D, linked to the main frame, the hoppers; N, eachhaving a bottom, N, provided with, a tongue, n, sliding in acorresponding slot in the cross timber whereby the hoppers may belongitudinally adjusted on the timber, the slides, P, lying in thehoppersand susceptible of sliding movement therein, the levers, 'O,centrally pivoted to the'cross timber, and pivoted at their oiiterfehdsto the slides, P, and the lever, L pivoted at its center to a stationarysupport, and at its lower end to the inner ends of the levers, 0,whereby the movement of the lever, L operates the 1e- 515,329 V s ryers; 0, and the slides, P, the outer end of In testimony whereof I havesigned this each of the 1evers,-O, being provided with a specificationin the presence of two subscribnumber of perforations, 0, whereby thelever ing Witnesses.

may be connected with the corresponding GEORGE D. FREDERICK. 5 slide, P,in any position of the hoppers and Witnesses:

slides; substantially as and for the purpose J. A. GRAIN,

set forth. R. H. WILES.

